Wii-Linux

Wii-Linux
General
Author(s)	GC-Linux Team
Type	Operating system
Links
[[Sourceforge|Download]]
Source
Peripherals

The Wii-Linux is a small Linux OS for the Wii, based on GC Linux.

Information

Creator: GC-Linux Team

Accessories needed: Computer running Linux, SD card with a ext2 partition.

Accessories compatible (not required): GameCube controller, USB Gecko, Wiimote

Best PAL mode: 480i/p

Button to return to loader: N/A

Loaders usable: Twilight Hack, Homebrew Channel

Installation for Twilight Hack: As usual.

Optional: Setup USB gecko and load the software on the PC beforehand (see the readme).

Software type: Operating System

Release Notes on Sourceforge

Sourceforge release notes

Notes: Package in "stealth" mode. Download and use at your own risk. Or better, do not download it.

No instructions are available yet. And, please, do not ask for them.

Don't try to boot the DOL unless you know what you are doing, otherwise you'll get a nice BSOD.

More news to come next month ...

Instructions

Post at TehSkeen

• 1. Make a second partition on your SD card and format as ext2 it is suggest that you use the GParted Live CD. There is a guide for formating an SD card here.

• 2. Then extract the debian-etch-4.0+whiite-0.1.tar.bz2 package to the ext2 partition of your SD card.

Note: It has been reported that you must extract the package in root if you are using Linux.

Note: To log in you must change the first line of the /etc/passwd file to root:$1$250RpdQ/$60y4YhzXslEKCI0qWJho80:0:0::/root:/bin/bash

You do not have to change anything in /etc/passwd. Please see below for more details.

• 3. Copy zlmage1.dol from the /boot/ directory on the ext2 partition to the fat partition and rename it to boot.dol.

Place in /apps/wii-linux/ for HBC and on the root of your fat partition for TP-Hack.

• 4. Load the file using TP-Hack or HBC

• 5. Log in and you will have a Terminal you can now run commands and navigate to directories.

• 6. To connect your Wiimote type hciconfig to configure bluetooth if you type hcitool scan and press 1+2 on your wiimote it will connect.

Note: These are NOT the official instructions the official instructions are coming in July.

Logging in

After you have booted Linux you will have 60 minutes (before the timeout) to log on with the credentials below

For POC
Username: root
Password: cube

For debian-etch-4.0+whiite-0.1
Username: root
Password: whiite

If you are using the new Wii-Linux update remember to change the first line in /etc/passwd to root:$1$250RpdQ/$60y4YhzXslEKCI0qWJho80:0:0::/root:/bin/sh

Things that works

The debian release comes with a lot of news, only available if you boot using the kernel that comes with that package. You will need a USB keyboard to use this release. If you are able to boot with it and to login, you will stop in a command line where you can navigate through the filesystem, and execute some applications. There are working drivers for the usb bus and internal bluetooth, but not fot the internal wireless adapter. These are the things that you can do:

- Play MP3:

   mp3-decoder <mp3 file> 
 There is an mp3 sample in the /root directory. You can play it if you type 
   mp3-decoder Synapse-Stealing_Science.mp3
 You can also use this 
   mpg321 <mp3 file>
 If you type & after the command you can have the mp3 play while you do other things
   mpg321 Synapse-Stealing_Science.mp3 &

- Write text files:

   nano [text file]

- Mount an external USB hard disk: Not all the usb hard disks works, but if they are formatted in FAT or EXT2, they might be recognized. Connect a pendrive to the USB, and type:

  dmesg

That command will show you the last kernel message. If the pendrive is compatible, it will show you some debug messages, and a message with the status of the new drive. If it is recogniced as sda, you can mount and navigate to that using these commands:

  mkdir mnt
  mount /dev/sda1 mnt 
  cd mnt 
  ls

- Play MP3 from the USB drive: Navigate to the directory where they are stored on your USB stick, and use the "mp3-decoder" or the "mpg321" tool to play them.

- Use the internal bluetooth: There is a driver that manages the wii internal bluetooth. You can connect to the wiimote, but there isn´t any application to manage it. You can type these commands to configure it:

 hciconfig: This will show you the bluetooth configuration 
 hcitool scan, and press "1&2" on the wiimote. This will find the wiimote and will show some information

- Install new debian packages, using apt or dpkg: If you find a usb network adapter that works with this kernel (the Nintendo USB network adapter works), you will be able to install new packages using apt-get. Or you can download by yourself and use dkpg to install them manually.

- Chat on IRC:

   irssi

- Show the identifiers of the things connected to the USB: Type lsusb

- The USB works if you connects a USB-HUB

Using Mplayer

• Download the source to Wii MFE
• Copy these files to the corresponding places on your SD card

/src/native/fs/shipped/lib/ /src/native/fs/shipped/root/ /src/native/fs/shipped/usr/

• Extract the contents of these archives to your SD card

/src/native/libsdl/mfe-libsdl.tar.gz /home/zach/Desktop/src/native/mplayer/mfe-mplayer.tar.gz

• On whiite type

 mplayer <file>.avi

Troubleshooting

I get a black screen when I load the DOL.

Something is wrong with the filesystem format your SD card and try again.

I boots up but a lot of errors saying file system read-only show up and it freezes.

Turn off Wiiconnect24 or load from TP-Hack.

GUI

A GUI is still needed. XORG?

Releases

• Debian etch 4.0 and Whiite 0.1 - Major update with many new apps and features - http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/debian-etch-4.0%2Bwhiite-0.1.tar.bz2
• Proof of Concept 0.4 - adds support for USB keyboards through the IOS keyboard interface - http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/wii-linux-PoC-0.4.tar.gz Mirror
• Proof of Concept 0.3 - adds read and write support for the front SD card slot - http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/wii-linux-PoC-0.3.tar.gz
• Proof of Concept 0.2 - http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/wii-linux-PoC-0.2.tar.gz
• Proof of Concept 0.1 - http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/wii-linux-PoC-0.1.tgz

External links

• A video showing how wii-linux debian boots, with some features and applications:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpDcnaeftsc

• A video showing T2 SDE 6.0 linux booting from an external HDD using the sd card as pivot root. X runs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1UCQEMO8yc

• http://www.gc-linux.org/
• http://www.tehskeen.com/forums/showpost.php?p=33699&postcount=19